In Somali, the verb to be ”AH” is irregular. The following is how the present tense of ”AH” is constructed based on the subject pronoun it is being used with:
Magac u yaal dad
Present form of the verb to be
Aniga
Ahay
Adiga
Tahay
Isaga
Yahay
Iyada
Tahay
Innaga
Nahay
Idinka
Tihiin
Iyaga
Yihiin
Tusaale 1: Example 1
Waan haraadsanAHAY
I am thirsty
Waad haraadsanTAHAY
You are thirsty
Wuu haraadsanYAHAY
He is thirsty
Way haraadsanTAHAY
She is thirsty
Waynu haraadsanNAHAY
We are thirsty
Waydin haraadsanTIHIIN
You are thirsty
Way haraadsanYIHIIN
they are thirsty
Tusaale 2
ANIGA waxaan AHAY arday
I ama a student
ADIGA waxaad TAHAY arday
You are student
ISAGA waxuu YAHAY arday
He is a student
IYADA waxay TAHAY ardayad
She is a student
INNAGA waxaynu NAHAY arday
We are students
ADINKA waxaydin TIHIIN arday
You are students
IYAGA waxay YIHIIN arday
They are students
Subject pronouns(Transitive)
The transitive form waxaan, waxaad, as seen below, can be created by attaching wax- to the preverbal subject roots -aan, -aad, etc.
Magac u yaal fale- Transitive
Subject pronouns(Transitive)
Waxaan
I
Waxaad
You singular
Wuxuu
He
Waxay
She
Waxaynu(waxaanu,waxaan)
We
Waxaydin(waxaad)
You plural
waxay
They
Tusaale
WAXAAN ahay arday
I am student
WAXAAD tahay arday
You are student
WUXUU yahay arday
He is student
WAXAY tahay ardayad
She is student
WAXAYNU nahay arday
We are students
WAXAYDIN tihiin arday
You are students
WAXAY yihiin arday
They are students
Tusaale
WAXAAN deganahay London
I live in London
WAXAAD degantahay Toronto
You live in Toronto
WUXUU deganyahay NewYork
He lives in Newyork
WAXAY degantahay Mogadishu
She lives in Mogadishu
WAXAANU degannahay Hargeisa
We live in Hargeisa
WAXAYDIN degantihiin Kismayo
You live in Kismayo
WAXAY deganyihiin Sydney
They live in Sydney
Demonstratives – Tilmaameyaal
Somali
English
Kan
This (Masculine)
Kaas
That (Masculine)
Tan
This (Feminine)
Taas
That (Feminine)
Kuwaan
These(Plural)
Kuwaas
Thouse(Plural)
Tusaale
KANI waa maxaay ?
What is this ?
Ans: KANI waa Eey
Ans: This is a dog
KAASI waa maxaay ?
What is that ?
Ans: KAASI waa wiil
Ans: that is a boy
TANI waa maxay ?
What is this ?
Ans: TANI waa bisad
Ans: this is a cat
TAASI waa maxaay ?
What is that ?
Ans: TAASI waa gabar
Ans: that is a girl
KUWAANI waa maxaay ?
What are these ?
Ans: kuwaani waa Eeyo
Ans: These are dogs
KUWAASI waa maxaay ?
What are those ?
Ans: KUWAASI waa bisado
Ans: those are cats
N.B. Keep in mind that each demonstrative’s “i” is a case marker designating it as the sentence’s subject.